The Day Earth started Moving
by InDeathAtonement
Summary: Two Imperial ships (Astra Militarum and Adeptus Astartes) arrive in modern Earth because Warp nonsense and things go south very quickly
1. WOW!

The SETI (Search for Extra Terrestial Inteligence) Institude was founded in the 70's on the hope of making contact, as its name implied, with inteligent life forms beyond the stars.

2019 was in full swing by now and no contact had been made since the very well known 'Wow! signal', a simple yet unique single line of code caught at random and maaybe by chance several years ago that never had repeat itself.

This, for Earth disgrace was about to change

'God I'm bored!' Joseph though for eleventg time this week.

He had worked for ten years now in the Institude and, what started as the dream of his life slowly turned to be something he had to drag his sorry-middle aged ass every day with the hope he could do the same the next day without finding out the goverment had finally shot down the place for lacking results.

This ,however, was not a sensless though.

In the last years or so, the suppoused civilian institude had experienced an increased in military personel in the needs of " _protecting national affairs_ " (at least that was how the big fishes called it) but it was obious to everyone what was happening.

The army was taking over the place to make a better use of the advance detection technology laying to waste in a worthless effort without visible results.

'Better bored than jobless' Joseph thought as he watched a Lt. pass by his office like he owned the place.

God!" Joseph realized with poor consealed disgust "I even can tell their ranks at sight!"

The truth was Joseph wasn't

fond of the military long before all this started to happend.

He then shook his head as to prevent some memories to come to the front of his mind and decided that he better get back to work at least to distract himself from... well, himself.

Focusing again in his job, nothing exiting to be honest, he would watch information already recieved the day before in case one of the operators had missed it.

Maybe within the hour he would cover one of his subordinates allowing the poor bastard to take a coffe and some biscuits from the rest room.

'What an exciting day!' he thought full of sarcasm.

As in some sort of karmic twist he started to heard a conmotion down the hall where the main monitoring center was.

He exited his office just to ran with Steven, his fellow supervisor.

"What's happening?!" Steven said stoping in his tracks bearly avoiding Joseph

Before Joseph could akwarly said he didn't knew a randy came from the opposite direction breathing heavily and sweting "Oh! thank God you're here!"

""What's happening?!"" both seniors asked as the noise increased rapidly down the hall.

"We..." the randy said holding his breath "... are recieving something!"

For a moment, the world really seemed to stop. Probably only few seconds had passed but might be ten years for what it mattered.

"Are you sure?!" Joseph asked, fearing that would shatter the dream into obliviob

"Yes sir!" said the young man, a wannabe-scientist kid, at least in Joseph's mind, was trembling with excitment.

Without even minding the people in the hall Joseph rand down to the monitoring center moving faster every second.


	2. Rearview Mirror

Thirty minutes earlier

Simons had just started his sift, endless hours of static waiting for him no doubt.

He didn't actually mind enymore.

Long has been the time when he actually care what he was doing... this was another day for another paycheck.

He took his place as every day in front of his computer and started to filtered data... nothing really stood out, as usual.

He thought in getting up for a coffee, he would need to overcome his daily routine when sudenly his monitor caught something.

Simons' heart skip a beat.

'No fucking way' Simon thought sticking his face to the screen.

Another WOW incident!

And it was happening to him from all people!

He better hurry or they might loose it just like the last time.

He jumped from his seat.

"You have to look at this!!" he shout to his partners in the room only to be met by gaping mouths and round eyes, the operator by his side hadn't even take his eyes from his own screen... 'evryone is recieving it?!' Simons' mind went blank and time stoped for what felt like an eternity as everyone realized the full extent of what they were experiencing.

A massive signal from space, real contact with another inteligent race

As it compesating for the stillness of a second ago, activity explode within the room as everyone entered in panic making calls with trembling fingers, clearing their desks by simply throwing evrething to the floor, just to realized they would need a pen and paper later.

A guy put out his phone (he had smugled it in the entrance to chat with his lover) and started recording the screens.

Other were smashing their keyboards with fury not really sure of what to do in a situation like this.

A young boy ran up the hallway to inform the supervisors in shift (only to bump into them completely out of breath)

Now

"Are we sure this is real?!" Joseph' voice made evryone snapp for a moment as he entered the workplace like if there was not door at all.

"W-we believe so!" Simon shouted without taking his eyes from the screen.

Joseph rushed to his side peering the monitor over his shoulder.

"We have to track it!" Steven shout as he came in much like Joseph a minute before, with the Randy on his tail rushing to take his post "I want the best estimate of where that signal is coming from!!"

It hadn't cross Joseph' mind (or anybody else for that matter) to locate the source.

"Who knows how many lightyears that thing is traveling nor how much is going to last!" Steven always had being a quicker thinker than Joseph "If we lost it now and don't know where it came from all will be for naught!"

"On it, sir!!" aswered Simons in earnest

"God almighty!!"

He sudenly stood up, knocking his chair an almost Joseph standing behind.

"What ha-!" Joseph started to ask but stoped at the sight of the man' face, his eyes were wide open and you could easily picture them popping out from his skull.

His face was beyond pale and his abject horror was evident for everyone above the age of five.

Joseph, being much closer just had to turn around and what he saw ran his blood cold.

Steven' heart shrink with fear "He lost the signal? isn't he?" he asked, his shoulders sinking in defeat.

"No..." Joseph answered "We have its location..."

"So?!" everyone in the room cheered, Steven himself felt like a child in christmas morning "Where the hell is coming from?!"

"Declination -22 06' 33.9'' " Heads turned as Joseph read the numbers on the screen, jaws droping as reality sunk in "Right Ascencion 19h 06m and 9.32s"

i.e Saturn

 **To those asking me for more...**

 **THANKS GUYS!!**

 **You're amezing!**

 **I don't really thought anyone would ever read it... not to say asking for more**

 **the name of the chapter is a joke I hope you get**


	3. Distress call

Two hours earlier...

The sixth planet from the Sun is a massive concentration of yellow-ish gas with an equaly massive set of rings around it. From rocks the size of pebbles to behemoths, rings orbit the planet in endless silence.

Sound is simply not natural in the void. But was being transpired in that part of the universe was everything but natural. First as a simple distortion, the fabric of reality itself twisted and explode in wirms of colour -that don't actually exist, giving place to things that didn't belong in this universe.

Equally massive -in their own terms, as the planet near by, two space ships drifted into space...

But the term "Space Ships" is highly inaccurate.

Void ships.

The difference is not just semantic though.

A "Space Ship" might imply an alien race from a middle of the road Scy-Fy movie, **Void Ship** **s** -however, entailes utterly preposteros implications of violence and death.

Both vessel shared allegiance but where everything but different in every single aspect.

The first one, the **'Sacred Steel'** -as common in the universe as sand is to a beach, is two thousand miles in length and with enough fire power to level continents without spending half of its resourcess. It carries, under normal sircumstances, 100.00 souls beetween commanding and suporting crew.

But this weren't, by any means, normal sircumstances. The 'Sacred Steel' was filled beyond its capacity with Imperial Guardsmen closely number the ten million with two full mechanised regiment cramping inside her.

This was only possible because the woman in charge of those men was as colse as family with the Captain.

The other vessel, however, is as rare as a snake in a living room (outside Australia of course). Even larger than her partner but not as highly armored (air quotes implied) was almost desrted inside, bearly half her capacity occupied in its twenty centuries of uninterrupted service.

The **'Cold Blooded'** is a truly acient battle barge from the Salamander' Space Marine Chapter wich ultimate purpose is to deliver the Emperor' holy wrath over the legion of Xenos, Heretics, Mutants and **Worse** that threaten humand kind since forever.

While peacful and earie silent from the outside, true mayhem was unfolding inside both ships. Damage reports, head counting and restless inspections in search for daemons in every corner of the ships were taking place; search parties bumping with tech priests and tech Marines -depending the ship, praying frantic to the machine spirits they could think of at the moment.

Only three people were keeping their calm (or at least not showing it).

Captain Gourav Buret, was a stern man wich people said had no nervs to loose in the first place. No one under his orders had any idea how old he was and were endless bets among the crew on the subject. The Quarter' Chief was convinced beyond reason that the man had popped up in the Captain' throne one day and nobody dared say anything since. Legends tell he had killed an enemy captain by stabbing him, along with the entire bridge, with the ship' spur. This was, of course, uncorfimed but nobody really doubted he was incapable of such madness. He had cold looks for everyone and smiles for no one... well, except for one person in the whole galaxy

The second person with its head over its shoulders (kind of) was Lord Commissar Guinevre Garretts.

She would jump first in any trench with only her lapistol and sword leading the attack in the heart of battle and jump again to save any of her men. She was one of those rare cases that didn't relayed in shooting their men to inspired them, instead she used a combination of inflamable speeches, steel discipline, and leadership (with a generous spice of charming smiles and puppy eyes) to inspire her men... and she was indeed gorgeous. With thick hair the colour of blood, and big blue eyes plus her... lets said... 'overly healthy' siluette only accentuated by her uniform, she was something that made the men (and some women) yearn for inspections.

And so she was loved

But you just don't climb the commissariat' chain food by being nice and pretty.

People addressed her as "Lord Commissar" since a cocky Seargent -who didn't knew any better, called her "Muh lady" and ended up leadind the charge her ass literally chained to a Leman Russ (Mars Pattern) hulk.

Guardsmen yearned inspections but they sweated blood in each one of them, because she didn't relayed in shooting her men to punish them either, she was much more creative than that.

A man once had left his lapistol in his tent. "If you think you don't need your weapon, guardsmen" Guinevre said with honey in her voice "it surely means you don't need _anything_ else either", the next day the poor guy to had fight completely naked... on an ice planet.

And so she was feared.

Arguably the most beautiful and terriying women in the galaxy

The last, yet the most important of the three, was Brother Captain Qarzat of the Salamanders. He was a giant even for Adeptus Astartes estandars, and his Terminator Armor only made his already imposing figure even more frighting. Rare was the ocation when he would hide his features behind his helmet. Even in battle the Captain of the third division was seen fighting with his face exposed, red eyes burning in anger and his jet black sking crossed by his perfect -almost childish, smile.

He wasn't a bad man nor a tyrant, the chapter Librarian used to say his body was so big only because it had to contain many different moods. He would laugh and joke in a campfire in company of friends, crush the skull of a heretic with delight only to grasp the shoulder of a human child and offer to look for its mom among the rubbles of battle; and cry upon finding her buried alive and dead.

"Status Report" said Qarzat addressing the humans showing on his screens.

"My lord" Gourav answered without hesitation "We haven't found any daemons onboard and casualties are minimun, the vessel is in better shape than expected and reparations are at pace My Lord"

"I'm glad to heard such" Qarzat glance at the woman beside Gourav, her baeuty surprised even him "And your men Lad- Cough! Lord Commissar?" you have to admire a women capable of intimidate a Space Marine by staring at him.

"They were restless at first but I've manage to calm them down... at least a little" said Guinevre with a sigh.

"If I may, My Lord" Gourav gave a little bow as to apologize "Is your ship and men, I hope, in similar conditions?"

Qarzat smiled, he liked humans and he definitely liked this two. "Yes, we haven't found any threat here either..." he went silence. What had to be told next was a pill hard to swallow "Our astrophat is dead"

Guinevre' brow bearly rised an her lips took a slighly 'O' shape (she looked cute as hell).

"Mmh..." Gourav' face don't even twitch, wich may Qarzat to wonder if he even had face muscles at all. "I'm afraid My Lord we have share a similar fate"

"I see" this was now a desperate situation, they had being severed from the Warp (and that's bad right?) and that wasn't even the worst of it.

They had Warped in the orbit of Saturn in the Sol System, the most sacred place of the galaxy after Holy Terra itself and no ship, no squadron or even comunication had reach them yet, the Void was earie silent and well... empty.

You may think this isn't that strange after all but we are talking about the heart of the Imperium, were giant orbital fortress and ships quite literally filled the space in their sacred mission of protecting the God Emperor Himself... and no one was present at the moment.

"My Lord?" the words made Qarzat snapped from his thoughs.

"What is it Captain?" he sounded angry.

He wasn't actually, any idea was welcomed and he was having none at the moment

"May I suggest sending a distress call to whoever may catch it?"

 **UFF!** **THAT TOOK ME A WHILE!** **THIS CHAPTER WAS WAAAY LONGER THAN THE PREVIOUS WERE... WICH IS A GOOD THING** **I WILL TRY TO MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTERS THIS LONG** **I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHARACTERS (YOUR OPINION MATTERS SO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK)**


	4. Choices

Joseph sat -or rather sank, in his chair' office feeling miserable. This was the moment of his life, the reason he had devoted the best years of his life for, and he would probably not be even a part of it.

As soon as the guys back in NASA started to freak out with the world-breaking news, some old fart (at least in Joseph' mind) dress as a Colonel stormed the room demanding to know what the hell was happeining. Not a second later some fool technician had said the word "Alien" the man had asorted his control over the room, everyone in it and of the situation in a way only a man used to being in control could do.

Joseph and Steven bearly managed to answer the flow of questions the Colonel barked at them at the same time he barked orders to his own men with every new answer. "Sir! I have the General in the line!" shout a soldier from the door. The Colonel practically teleported himself outside and didn't came back for an hour, and when he did he seemed ten years older.

"W- What happend?" Steven asked mustering all the strenght Joseph always lacked.

"Is... not just us" said the Colonel almost in a whisper

""What?"" both Joseph and Steven bearly grasped the meaning of thise words.

The SETI hadn't been the only one to catch the signal... It hadn't been even the first one although they didn't knew this at the moment. "W-who else is picking it?" Joseph stumble over his words, his tonge seemed twice as big -or at least he felt it that way, inside his mouth. "Everyone" said the officer without even looking at them, a coat of sweat covering his forehead.

Everything went down from there and the military took control of the facility. The order came from above -from the very top, and all over the country every single obserbatory and was becoming a military station.

*

A poor bastard on top of the Mauna Kea -the last place on earth on picking up the signal due to a mixture of bad luck and even worse timing, had just sat in his desk when three soldiers kicked the door and a nameless Lt. told him they would take control over the facility. "Well fuck" the bastard managed to say before taking an amuse sip from his mug with the words 'Shit happends' on it

Less funny yet equally bizarre scenes where taking place across the globe with wildly degrees of violence.

*

Back in SETI, Colonel Powers had decided to have both Steven and Joseph to help him to mantain the situation under some sort of control, he even kept the staff -under military survilance of course, to handle their post. "As soon anyone sneeze I want to know it" the officer had demanded pointing a finger at the civilians, his words were stern but driven by uncertity in a man not use to it since long ago. "I will be in my desk!" he said exiting the workplace, everyone too occupied to really notice it, 'trying to make some sense out of this mess' he though to himself.

Rapidly though, Steven proved himself in charge of the place and Powers left everything in his hands while he retreated to his office in seek of new orders. Joseph found himself soon enough back to a corner doing nothing and feeling useless, he was sure nobody noticed when he finally left back to his office. Now, chewing at his own self hatred for not have the stones to do something he made a vow to himself, he would show them what he was capable of...

somehow

Weeks passed and Joseph depression only grew deeper and deeper while the entire world seemed to bend over itself. Despite goverment efforts the news of contact with alien life **within** the solar system found its way to the masses -its not that surprising considering any Tv and Radio station started picking the same signal sooner enough.

Presidents and Rulers around the world cursed the current state of globalitazion when certain someone posted 'E.T. is calling at my home' in his Tweet account, confirming all suspicions on the matter

Pressed by the masses, countries across the globe started to share their discoveries with the public and to each other (except the Chinese because they're assholes).

We were no longer alone in the universe, and aliens were not only there, they would be here soon. The signal, o rather signals -it was confirmed to be two diferent sets of them, were getting closer and fast. bearly a month had passed and satelites were pointing to the uper orbit of Jupiter and were falling behind the actual position of the source. Telescope sales sky-rocket and you couldn't walk outside the store wihout anyone trying to stole it from you since everyone became desperate to take even a glimps of the aliens.

Chaos on Earth became rampant. Religious groups from all faiths went from buying tickets to their most holy places to outright claming the true end had finally come and demanding ritual sacrifices -depending on the religion of course, in the middle of the streets.

*

The Alien guy from the History Channel became the most famous person on the planet for about two days and had the pleasure of telling everyone in the world "I told you so" with the smugest face possible in a world wide streaming before being shot -presumably because the smug face.

*

On every media atheists and theist teared each other apart over the nature of the aliens was divine or natural, people arguing to recieve the visitors with open arms confonting their neighboors pointing to pretty much every HOLYWOOD movie ever saying they should nuke the invaders as soon as they were in range. Cults sprung out of nowhere like from a fountain, each one more outrageous than the last. The scientist comunity was as diveded -but much less violent in general, where the aliens came and why? how do they looked like? humans would be able to comunicate with them? Biologist, Astronomist and every concibable 'ist' were trapped in endless debates about it.

Of course Goverments took action, and martial law had to be instaured in the U.S. and most of Europe just to to keep things to get worst. But for the time order had returned to most civilized countries, Earth was forever changed.

And when things were much calmer, almost two months later, people ask itself: where they are now?

The answer threated to almost bring back the chaos.

*

In the **'Sacred Steel'** a single figure stood in front of the side oculus of the ship. It had being a human centuries ago, before machines and bionic augmentations replaced almost everything in his... her?... the Tech Priest look at its hands in a moment of confusion. 'Wath was my gender again?' asked to its memory banks. The Enginseer went on the name of Andrus Calvinus, 'that is a male name', he thought, 'So I must be that' he concluded.

What had provoked this revelation was nothing to be thankful. In front of him, thousands of kilometres below -if there is such thing in the Void, was the most sacred place in the universe for him and his kind, and yet its vision filled him, with despair.

The fourth planet of the system, Mars, was an imposing view. A silent one... an empty one. The massive furnaces and manofactorums visible even from space were nowhere to be seen and neither of the imperial ships were capable of detect a single trace of life in the entire planet. This could not be hapening, he told himself, why this was hapening?! WHAT had hapend?!

He still remembered when the Captain told him the shocking news.

He was the most senior Tech Priest on board so it was his duty to mantain order among his kind, but he knew Captain Gourav had no obligation of informing him in the way he did, he knew the captain could even not tell him nothing at all, but he did. He recalled the moment the man knock on his chambers asking for audience, he was with that strange female Commissar with red hair -they were pretty much every waking hour together, discussing all kinds of matters and had the crew on edge about the nature of their relationship, and he informed him where they were and what was happening.

He remembered the sudden burst of electricity that made him fell on his bed, and for a moment he though something was about to brake and kill him on the spot when a soft -he could tell it was soft somehow, but firm hand land on his shoulder, he rised his head to find a set of deep-blue eyes staring directly at him. "It's okay" the woman had said, she sat by his side never taking her hand "Take a moment to think about it..." her crimson lips clenched just a little, betraying her urgency "and after you done it, please Andrus, come to us to the bridge and give us your answer" her voice was gentle and her look compassive. 'W-what answer?' he though while she stood and crossed the doors without looking back. Captain Gourav never took his eyes from him, his face betraying nothing "We'll make the annoucement once you decide to join us, just remember time is not on our side" had said before following the Commissar.

"Waitl!!" he had shouted to a closing door. 'Make the annaucement?!' he hadn't heard anything over the vox but it hadn't occured to him that no one else was informed about it. He jumped out of his bed and direct -more like stumble himself to the nearest oculus were he -upon seeing the empty soil of Mars, had spent the last hour drawned in thoughts...

The face of the Lord Commissar flashed in his lensses as he playback the scene, replacing the sickening vision of a barren world, 'what a strange woman' he whispered. He was replaying the scene for the third time when something clicked in the Tech Priest' mind, ' _Your answer',_ something that had been there but he hadn't noticed. To this moment, Andrus believed he had replaced all his human thoughts and feelings with those of the Omnissiah... so he had thought. What he was feeling right now, however, was proof of his own humanity and that the power of the human soul was stronger than anything else, and for that revelation he was in did thankful.

He hadn't grasped the meaning of those words... but in that moment he thought he unerstood what those eyes tried to convey.

Andrus Calvinus of the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars started walking down the corridor, his stray firm and confident, a far cry from the clumsy steps he took to here from his chambers, now were leading him to the only place he need it to be, to do the only thing he need it to do...

His sacred duty

*

Joseph was still feeling miserably, he still was sitting by his desk, he had gone home after his shifts and came back every morning of course, but in the weeks and months since the start of this madness he had only sat by his desk. Day after day he had done his every day job, his monitor will show him yesterday's most relevant data for he to look for something anyone else may had overlook. He still was pretty much useless.

He didn't really care anymore.

But things _had_ changed. "Soldier!" Joseph called to the man that instantly appeard in the door frame. "Yes, sir?" the young man -he had 23 at most, said standing in attention. Joseph grinned mentaly, "Black, two sugar" the lad click his heels and headed to the kitchen. As soon as he disapear Steven replaced him, "I see you got use to your rank" he said a carefree smile in his face.

Since the establishing of the martial law all space related organisations were throughly militarized, in the end It was easiest to made soldiers from long life astronomists and technisians that astronomists from young soldiers.

The scientist comunity was outraged and many threatened with resignation untill they themselves understood they were backing up from the moment they had actually lived for.

Things, though, were as usually, smoothier back in SETI. Coronel Powers had talked to Steven beforehand and he informed the others in such a way no one complained beyond some awkard stares and sad looks of resignations. The four supervisors -two for each shift, were turned into officer as it was the soundest logic according to the big fishes back in D.C.

"Is not as bad as I thought" Joseph confessed smiling mischievously. "Ha ha, I guess your right" Steven laughed awkardly, his face clouded for a second, "so... I wanted to ask you..." Joseph shot up an eyebrow on the sudden change of attitude in his colleague.

"No grudges?"

"Your mean because of your rank?" Joseph asked looking at Steven, his gallons shining in his shoulders. Steven nodded looking a littke embarassed, he was after all, two years younger than Joseph his junior by three years.

Both were officers now but Joseph was a Lieutenant while Steven was a Major. "Pff!" He replied smiling, "you deserve that promotion more than anyone, and if I'm being honest that uniform suits you"

A bright smile crossed Steven' face, "Thank you Joseph, that really put me at ease' he said stepping out from the office 'let know if somenthing happens"

"Yes, sir!" Joseph shout from his desk joking.

None of Joseph' words had been lies, Steven deserve his promotion and the uniform did suit him, but...

"Excuse me, sir" Joseph look up to find the soldier from earlier holding a steaming mug in his hand "your coffee, sir"

"Is cold" Joseph said dissmisive "Throw it away", the lad look confused for a moment and with a clap of his heels he went back to the kitchen, Joseph snorted behind him and focused back in his monitor the though of Steven living in a box making him smile.

 **uff!** **I hope you liked it, this was longer than the last one -and better I hope, and by the amount of things I have planned the next ones maight be even longer** **things may take an interesting turn from now on**


	5. Signs

Among the many Space Marine chapters that fought in the Emperor's name, The Salamander were among the few that didn't view the unhanced humans as lesser beings. And while other Chapters, like the Ultramarines -the most notorious between the 'humanists', their strugle wasn't fueled by some sort of grandiose sense of manifest destiny. They thought themselves rather simple people, not too far from actual humans.

Except they had the power to fight the enemies of man kind, therefore the duty of protecting it.

Brother-Commander Qarzat thoughts were with his family, a wife, he remember how her red eyes always shone whenever she smiled, and his ten children -theirs was a healthy marriage, runing and playing through the fields, an early form of training -and some peace, before getting the chance of serving the imperium. They were back in Vulkan, safely, at least was what he hoped whenever his duty call him to action. He was thinking in them today, as he watched the barren red world in front of him. 'A disturbing view indeed' the voice make him snapp to reality and present

He turned only to find the company' Librarian, "Tricerius..." his expression softened a little "I hope you're the bringer of good news".

"I'm affraid not" Tricerius said, his face behind his helmet. The company' Librarian and the commander were complete oposites to each other. Were Qarzat was a giant among the Astartes, Tricerius was the smallest of his Brethren. He never took off his helmet and very few had seen his face, he was the immobile stone that clashed with his Commander always changing mood. They had been together for a long time and between them was a mutual understanding and respect.

"The Inmaterium is closed, brother" even through his helmet his voice seemed tired and he was leaning in his staff -made completely of some Vulkan predator, crown by the creature' grining skull, "Even my powers, algtough still with me, have been drasaticly reduced". Now Qarzat' face was so stiff it very well could be a ceramite mask, "What is the meaning of all this!" he said through clench theet pointing at the desert surface of Mars, "We have been in this system for over a Terran month sending signals through the entire Void and got not a single response nor vessel came to our encounter!!!" he was shouting now, with all the strenght of an erupting volcano -his power globes cacking with plasma bursts, even the servitors, atached to the bridge' cogitators, seemed to shrink in fear -an instinctive response from their past. "I have an entire company of our brothers and numberless humans in a situation more confusing by the minute and I, who should be guiding them have no clue of what to do next!!!"

"You're done?" Tricerius asked calmly, he hadn't even change postures during the burst, his tone of a father faced with his son' tatrum. With the same speed as it came out, Qarzat' anger seemed to vanished, "I apologize Brother" he said, his breath now under control "It was unworthy of my position". They were alone in the bridge with no one to witness this moment of weakness

"But worthy of a son of Vulkan" Tricerius walked to were his commander was and put a hand on his arm -there' was no way he could reach his shoulder, "the fire of our home is in your veins and yet you have the will to control it..." the Librarian made a small chuckle -a very rare thing indeed, "when it counts".

"Thank you my friend" The giant said, the magma of his fury returning to the dephts of his being "You're always there when most need it", his red eyes sudenly showing a deep sorrow. "Is only my duty Brother" the midget replied heading for the exit.

"Is beyond your duty to join me in the next meeting?" Qarzat asked, almost beggin. Tricerius turned around, his face -as always, behind his helmet, "I thought you wouldn't ask" and for a moment Qarzat dare to imagine a smile in his face.

*

They had grown used to each other faces. Day after Day the two humans and commander Qarzat would hold conference, some times they would theorized for hours about the current situation with no one being satisfied with the result, other times it would be a matter of minutes to status updates. But things had remained still for too long and today planned to end this stalemate once and for all.

The screen lit up and the faces of the human Captain and the Lord Commissar were there as ussual, but something was different today, the presence of a Tech Pries at the left of the human woman started the Space Marine for a second before regaining control over himself. "I see we have a guest" he said rather unpleasently he had a bad feeling about this.

"My I, my Lord, say the same" Guinevre answered giving Tricerius a motherly look, the Librarian, who had never laid his eyes in the Comissar before, thanked the Emperor to have his helmet on. "Point taken, Lord Comissar, this is my Librarian, Tricerius, he will joining us in this meeting"

"My lord" Guinevre gave him a solemn nod -Captain Gurav and the Tech Priest did the same but the Space Marine had his aftention on her only, "This is Andrus Calvinus of the priesthood of _Mars_ " she enphasiced making clear for everyone this was not a meeting the like of the others and the role of the augmented human, "He will too joining us in this meeting, with your permission of course".

Tricerius had to supress a laugh, the way the woman was handling the situation was nothing short of impressive. "Yes, of course" Qarzat replied, it didn't escaped Tricerius when Guinevre interrupted his Brother just before he intended to speak, "My lord, we have being defensive for too long in this situation" not only she had stolen the initiative from a Space Marine, she was securing it, "and worst of all we have keep our men in the most complete darkness of it, is eroding their moral and our hesitation has became a sin we all must, and will, atone for in the future" her voice was full of regret and her eyes were blazing with the fire of judgement and both Space Marines felt they were being lectured by their mothers -Tricerius could only imagine what the two men beside her were like right now, luckily he was not one of them.

"And the first step to redemption is action' now Guinevre" voice was no longer of grief but of resolution, she wasn't suggesting anything either, she was comanding it, "My Lord Astartes, I request permission to adress your Brethren alongside the souls on this side"

The Commander of the Salamanders and his Librarian shared a glanced, stunned by the presence before them. 'My permission?' Qarzat' face seemed to ask, it was clear for both enhance supersoldiers this was no request but a mandate. Tricerius will not allow this no longer, there's a limit for how much a son of Vulkan would step back for a human, and this one was even daring to lecture them. He looked back to the screen canalizing all his rage and inmediatly felt three sizes smaller of what he really was.

Guinevre was looking directly at him with blue flames coming from her eyes -it _really_ felt that way. For what it seemed ages, he actually thought the Comissar would blam his head through the screen.

"There is a problem, My Lord?" she asked, her face such even a Khorne cultist might think in lower his weapon for.

Tricerius' voice refused to came out.

"There's none, your request is granted" Qarzat' voice was hesitant, only Tricerius, who had been by his side for centuries notice it... he hoped.

*

Of course I notice the trembling in the Space Marine' voice, it was subtle but it _was_ there and I would shot myself before not noticing the stink of doubt in front of me. Commander Qarzat was not a leader, his faith in the Emperor was unbreakable and I'm sure I can't fathom his power as the warrior he is but he's lost whitout porpouse.

Obiously, the Emperor' sons are above and beyond myself and I have no intention to change that, but I can't and I **won't** allow anyone to fall apart in this situation, **specially** from someone who might drag the rest of us down whit him.

I spare a though on the Tech Priest by my left, that toaster fucker was about to uninstalled himself when the Old Man told him (I think is a "he") the news Mh! Old Man was right in asking me to came along, he he, and I was right in not shooting the bastard. I would flogg myself before wasting a bullet in someone with hidden potential wating to be forged in something useful.

"Thank you, My Lord" I direct a sincere and respectful bow to Commander Qarzat, I must remember I'm outside the chain of command and remind everyone -even myself, who is, or rather _should_ be in command in every moment. Being a Commissar is hard, as it should be.

There's a reason why my office exist, and the people wearing the Crimson must always remember what a _Political Officer,_ means and why the Politics comes before the rank. Something my pupil doesn't seem to grasp, but it would be enough time to lecture Rasp... if any of us is still alive of course.

A slight movement calls my attention to the holoscreen, I shift my focus in the present where it must be.

"We're ready" Commander Qarzat tells me, "whenever you are that is" I ignore the note of sarcasm for everyone's sake. What I can't ignore is the nod in my stomach, the fate of us all are in _my_ shoulders and for the first time in many years I'm not sure of what to do next.

"We are as well ready _Lord Commissar_ " I turn to my right and meet the Old Man' gaze, expressionless as always is the most asuring thing next to my faith in the Emperor; after all this years he's the one that keeps saving my sorry ass.

I don't show any of my emotions of course, a life of service has told me to perfectly control the way others perceive me. But enough of pointless matters.

Duty Calls

*

"What do you think?" Steven asked peeking over Randy' shoulder, his brow furrowed.

"Hey... what's up?" Joseph asked casually entering the room, he had went to pick a cup of coffee after getting tired of toying with the poor lad -at least for today, he'd spot Steven' look which made him curious and went to take a peak.

"Hey! Joseph" his sincere smile made Joseph repress a smirk, "I taught it might be possible, now our visitors have being taking a rest in Mars, we could pin point them for real, what you think?"

"Ja! At that distance you might even talk to them if you want it to..." everyone in the room look to Joseph with a dead pan, Joseph belive himself a clown and took a long sip from his mug not showing -or at least trying, his embarrasment. Steven' face lit up like it was christmas morning. "Y-you're a genius man!!" he hug his friend out of pure joy, ''I don't know what we do without you!"

''Here to help pal'' was Joseph only reply, everyone was already on their phones with other stations and NASA-SPACE COMMAND (Nasa' new miltary name) with Steven spearheading of course.

 _'Of course'_ thought Joseph with comptent, he had meant his comment as a joke and now the entire room was spining around him. He took conscience of himself -he was standing doing nothing, but what else he could do? His 'greatest idea' was literally a joke, he head to his office cursing himself yet again the words of Steven turning in mockery and insults in his mind.

Tooking another step down the spiral.

*

Steven caught with the corner of his eye how his collegue exited the room and felt a twing of dissapointment, he truly respected him and wished he would get more involved.

He rapidly focused though, in much urgent matters. This was a one shot chance, every country was in a frantic race to catch up with the aliens the first. Maybe, just maybe no one had thought in _sending_ a signal yet -the world was in such state of confussion it may be possible. If they came with the idea first, if _they_ do it first it would be a place for all of them in history.

''I have NASA on the line!'' one guy in the back shouted ''they say and I quote "What the hell are you waiting for!!" end quote!'" everyone laughed.

''Go tell the Coronel and lets started!!'' everyone cheered making the adrenaline in Steven' blood sky rocketing.

*

Guinevre' voice sounded across both vessels, her face in every holoscreen, her voice in every vox.

''Sons of the Imperium! Rejoy with the certainty that the Emperor protects!!' Against impossible odds and shielded by our faith we survived the Tyrannid flood!''

Tyrannids, disgusting oversized bugs that you wouldn't like to know more.

''After our victory on the surfice'' if you could call victory to get the hell out of the planet before the Exterminatus torched the danm place ''we were throw in the merciless claws of the Warp our resolution tested once more!''

The Space Marines on the **'Cold Blooded'** had a mixture of confussion -being adressed by a commisar was a first for most if not all of them, their eyes fixed in the holoscreens and the speakers.

''But _The Emperor Protects!!_ We survived'' Guinevre shouts gave place to more close, almost intimate, ''now we face a new test'' she closed her eyes her shoulders slumping a bit, every movement calculated and perfectly timed to convey what she wanted.

She count four seconds of silence -just enough to put everyone on a little edge ''In the hearth of the Segmentum Solar we have encounter nothing but the emptiness of the void and barren worlds'' she looked in the verge of tears, but before a single drop was seen a blazing fire shone through her eyes -a completely diferent person from a second ago, ''but rest asure His light will show us the way!!''

The Emperor protects. One servitor moaned, entouning a brainless litany of coordinates and auspex readings.

''Something is coming in!!'' a man shouted 'a-and is coming from Holy Terra itself!!!

*

For a glorious moment -the greatest of my life, I became a mere instrument, speaking not mine but His words.

''What other proof does we need!!'' I'm not acting anymore, my joy couldn't be more real ''There's only one thing we can do and only one way!!''

My entire body shivers with extacy and burns with faith '' **Forward!!** ''

The oldest preprecpt of the Guard.

'' **To destiny and victory!!!** ''

 **ufff!**

 **I'm going to be honest with you, I don't like the way I ended this chapter and I will probably change some things along the way because I want to move the story forward, so stay tuned for updates!!!**

 **XD!**

 **What do you thing about this chapter?**

 **is sure the longest...**


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